For Good
by sd freek
Summary: Sequel to Friend or Foe and rewrite of The Battle Within... The Fantastic Four struggle to keep their lives in order as Doctor Doom returns with a secret weapon and SG decides it's now or never and attempts to claim Susan Richards as his bride.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fantastic Four and any other characters you may or may not recognise from the film, tv show and comic book franchise. SG and Sofia are mine; so don't try telling me otherwise!**

**Author's note: My apologies to those who were expecting a speedy rewrite. I have just been completely overloaded with coursework but six hours ago I completed it all and wrote this beauty. It's half term and so I think you'll be seeing a lot of me over the next week (or maybe not, I do have a social life to uphold). I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Ben never did like the idea of comas.

They were too unpredictable; he knew that from the television…and Reed. Sometimes the person woke up within days, other times they didn't wake up for months or years. Ben tried hard not to think of the other possibility but it slunk around the back of his mind tauntingly. _She might never wake up. _Some people died in comas, some people were just stuck in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of their lives. _But that won't happen to Alicia, she's strong, she'll pull through. _Ben looked down at his girlfriend. The doctors still had no idea what the mystery gas was that had invaded her lungs and put her in such a state.

It had been almost a month since the Von Doom Towers incident or VDTI as Johnny had dubbed it (Ben would never understand his love of naming things) and things had taken a drastic turn for the Fantastic Four - well at least for Ben and Johnny anyway. Sue and Reed couldn't be happier. They were blissfully unaware of everything but each other and their son. Ben understood their need to play 'Happy Families' but it bugged him to see the two of them so happy when everything around them was slowly crumbling. Ben wondered if they noticed he had spent the night at the hospital again, it was the seventh night in a row. He had reassured a mildly worried Sue that he would be home for dinner but then he thought he saw Alicia move and spent the next five hours scrutinizing her for movement. Every time he tried to leave the room something pulled him back.

The door to the room opened and Ben looked up. He looked startled to see his best friend poke his head round the door.

"Hi," Reed said softly. Ben nodded a greeting and looked at Alicia. Reed stepped inside the room.

"How's she doing?" Reed asked.

"No change," Ben muttered. Reed nodded sympathetically and picked up the folder at the end of Alicia's bed. Ben watched as he flipped through it, mumbling to himself absent-mindedly as he scanned the pages.

"Have they tried giving her a dopaminergic agent yet?"

"Started yesterday. Doesn't seem to be working."

"She'll pull through-" Reed began to say but Ben cut him off.

"I know."

Reed put the chart back and sat down in an empty chair next to Ben.

"You didn't come home yesterday," Reed stated lightly.

"Were you worried?" Ben asked with a slight smirk. Reed smiled slightly.

"A little," he admitted. "Sue and I think you need to rest."

"I wanna be here when she wakes up," Ben feebly protested.

"But what's the use if you've collapsed from exhaustion?"

"I'm not tired. I do actually go to sleep when I'm here."

"You're not eating properly," Reed said in a slightly more serious tone.

"Yeah I am. The lady who runs the canteen is pretty nice, she always brings me a decent meal."

"Ben, listen to me. You can't stay here all the time, at least come home for a few hours," Reed said begged. His concern for his friend was suddenly more apparent.

"I can't-" Ben started.

"Yes you can. A few hours won't kill you."

"What if something happens?"

"The hospital will call," Reed said firmly. Ben stared at Alicia trying to think of another reason to stay.

"Just a few hours," Reed added. Ben tore his eyes away from his girlfriend and looked down at his best friend.

"Okay," he said slowly and quietly. Reed resisted a triumphant smile and slapped his friend on the back encouragingly before slowly leading him out of the room.

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The next morning was just like any other morning in the middle of August. Everyone was enjoying the sunshine and warmth knowing there was not long left until autumn would take over; everyone that is but Johnny Storm.

"We're out of milk."

The expectations behind the statement were so blunt and typical Johnny that Sue just had to roll her eyes. She looked at her brother standing beside the open fridge with an empty carton of milk in his hand.

"I brought some yesterday," Johnny protested as he slammed the door shut earning him a glare from Sue and a curious glance from Franklin.

"Ben came home last night, he was hungry," Sue explained as she offered a bottle to her son. Johnny's face contorted between a mix of anger and joy. For a moment he considered bounding off to Ben's room to wake him up when realisation washed over him. He frantically pulled open the nearest cupboard and grabbed a cereal box. He looked inside and was horrified at the sight that greeted him.

"Bitch!"

"Language!" Sue said sharply and gestured with her eyes towards her son. Johnny ignored her.

"He ate all my cereal!" he continued and threw the box angrily across the room. Sue caught it with a force field and dropped it in the bin. Johnny slumped down in a chair beside his sister at the dining table. He looked at his sister.

"What?" she asked without looking at him.

"We're outta milk and cereal," he said calmly, all traces of his previous outburst gone.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" she asked as if she was completely unaware of what her brother was asking her. Johnny looked at her blankly.

"Go get some," he said bluntly. Sue ignored him and continued to feed her son. When it became apparent to Johnny that she wasn't going to get up and run to the nearest supermarket any time soon he let out a loud sigh.

"Fine, I'll get it then," he huffed and marched out of the room.

"Could you get some coffee?" she called after him.

"No," came the angry reply. Sue chuckled.

She sat, baby in her arms, quietly for a while watching Franklin suckle greedily on the bottle he had attempted to wrap his arms around. They continued like that for a minute before Franklin decided he had had enough and promptly let go the bottle. Sue placed the bottle on the table and began to burp him. It was as she carried out the procedure that she noticed a cream envelope lying on the counter next to the spot where Johnny had exploded only minutes before.

She was not surprised to see it there. She stood up, still gently patting Franklin on the back, and walked over to it. As she had expected her name was written neatly on the front. She picked it up with a force field and carried it with her on her way to the nursery.

By the time she reached the newly decorated room Franklin had already let out a healthy yet disgustingly loud burp. She put the baby in a rocker and grabbed the letter from her force field. She quickly opened it and read the note within.

_Dear Susan,_

_I think the time has come for us to meet again. Three weeks is a long time to be without the one you love. I know the last time we met you insisted you had a husband (whom I know you do not love) and you had given birth to his child and that meant we could never be together. I believe we can work around all these obstacles; you just have to trust me. _

_I can help you Susan._

_I know you find it hard to believe but I have the answers to all your problems and every problem you will ever face for the rest of your life. You are simply too divine to waste your time wallowing with a so-called-scientist like Reed Richards. He does not care for you the way I do. The little love he has for you he cannot even express. I think my letters to you are proof enough that I can give you more than Richards ever can. You can only fool yourself for so long my dear, he doesn't care enough about you. _

_Till next time_

_xxx_

As usual the letter was not signed, it wasn't the first unsigned letter she had received since the 'incident' either. Letters from SG had become a daily thing; she would be surprised if she did not receive one. Sighing she slipped the letter into her pocket and smiled at Franklin.

"Who's a good boy? Oh you are, yes you are!"

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Johnny had never thought the time would come when he would hate being famous. But it had come, and far too quickly for his liking. He stood in the lobby by the lift, watching the crowd with a ghostly look on his face. The Lobby's usual occupants, Jimmy and Barbara, were all watching him curiously. He had been fine talking to reporters and fans up until the week before in which a VDTI survivor claimed they had seen him 'cruelly slaughter' an 'innocent worker' to aggravate her 'loving, hard-working and loyal boyfriend'. The story had received very little media attention and was dismissed as a moneymaking scheme rather than a controversial exposé. Of course Johnny was glad but it highly resembled an all too familiar story he was hoping to forget. Admittedly it was the same story, Johnny would just have worded it differently: 'Human Torch executes woman to save the life of the woman he loves'.

"They're waiting for you," a familiar voice said tauntingly. Johnny froze.

"They wanna know the truth," the voice continued. Johnny's eyes flickered to Jimmy and Barbara; they were still watching him warily, pretending to be occupied with other things. He didn't blame them, the last time he went down to the lobby, he had screamed 'fuck off bitch' and then promptly gone back to the penthouse. If they knew he was talking to _her_ then they would understand. Slowly and reluctantly Johnny turned around.

There she was. Sofia Wallace, in all her glory. She stood behind him; her back was propped up on the wall. She was admiring her nails. On her last visit she told him she was grateful she'd had them done right before VDTI; otherwise she'd have to deal with shit-looking nails till the end of time.

"Not now," he whispered, glancing consciously over his shoulder.

"You busy?" she asked.

"Kinda," he mumbled.

"Oh dear," she said with mock sympathy. "Did it ever occur to you I might have plans?" When Johnny didn't answer she continued. "My mother was supposed to fly in tonight. She'd been waiting for this trip since forever, it's not everyday you get to get an all-expenses paid trip to New York City…she was so excited. I think she's more sad that she doesn't get to finally go on a plane than the fact that I'm dead."

Johnny stared down at his shoes. She'd come to send him on another lengthy guilt trip.

"You wanna know why I'm leaning against the wall?" she asked. Johnny didn't reply, he knew she was going to tell him anyway.

"I can't hold my head up," she whispered. Johnny closed his eyes, now he knew what was coming.

"Look at me," Sofia commanded. When Johnny didn't do as she asked she repeated the order, only louder. Reluctantly Johnny looked up at her. Sofia stepped forward, leaving the support of the wall. Her head lolled to one side in an awkward and inhuman position.

"It's like I have no frickin' bones in my neck," she moaned.

"Shut up," Johnny growled and then reluctantly added, "I broke your neck, there are still bones in there."

Sofia's eyes narrowed.

"You think I'm overreacting? You _murdered _me."

Her words made Johnny flinch; his automatic reaction was to hit her with a witty, yet offensive comeback.

"Then die already! Why are you still here?" he shouted. "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Pearly gates to visit and all that shit…or did they reject you? Not 'innocent' and 'hard-working' enough for them?" If Johnny was honest it was probably not the best comeback he'd ever come up with but it was better than nothing. Sofia stuttered for a moment.

"You see all these people?" She gestured to the doors. "They're gonna find out the truth."

Johnny raised one eyebrow.

"You'd be surprised at what I can do Storm. You think you're safe? Think again bitch," she hissed. Johnny ignored the fact that he had just been called a bitch by a dead woman and rolled his eyes.

"Go to hell,' he said loudly and marched out of the Baxter Building, through the endless crowds and paparazzi.

As he pushed through the crowds Sofia's threat echoed through his head. He had a feeling she was going to see her threat through. He stopped suddenly as it hit him. The paparazzi were going wild; it was the first glimpse of Johnny Storm in over a week. Fans were screaming desperately but Johnny ignored them as an ominous feeling of dread rose within him.

_I'm fucked. _

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**A/N: Maybe now you can see why I chose to rewrite this…okay so maybe you probably can't because you don't know what I have planned for this story but I promise you it's for a good reason. Johnny was too happy for my liking, I didn't exactly want him to be a tortured soul type thing but I wanted him to be feeling the repercussions of his actions…so now he is haunted by his victim's ghost. **

**If you enjoyed it, which I know you did (and even if you didn't) then REVIEW! Actually…if you didn't like it then don't review but I would appreciate some CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own pretty much everything…that you don't recognise.**

**Author's note: Thank you very much for your reviews. It's nice to see some people appreciate my rewrite and my apologies again for having a dramatic moment and deciding I didn't like the previous version. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've been ill…being ill sucks. I have mocks in like a month, and considering they could determine whether I get into the college I want, it's fair to say you can't really expect to see a lot of me over the next few weeks. **

**Kimauri626: I agree…emo Johnny is not very nice but unfortunately he is necessary. Anyway, SG stands for Stalker Guy (yes, Johnny did come up with that). He is Sue's stalker…it's all in my other fic Friend or Foe. You should read it when you have the time otherwise this story probably won't make a lot of sense.**

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The woman stared in awe at the skyline of New York City. She had been told the buildings were big but in Latveria any building with six floors was considered to be a skyscraper. Well at least in the secluded villages. She'd never visited the country's capital, Hassenstadt. In fact she had never left her village until now.

Her name was Katrina Pederichie. They said she had _the gift_. She wasn't psychic as many who heard those words assumed; she could do something different, something dangerous. When she discovered her gift at the age of nine the people had revered her. She was a special, a miracle child. When she hit sixteen things changed, things happened; her hormones and emotions got the better of her and suddenly the nasty side of her gift reared its ugly head.

Katrina resisted a smirk. It was funny how the villagers had all turned on her. Now she was a devil child, something she was still being called never mind the fact that she was pushing 23. Her family had disowned her, her friends rejected her and her neighbours spat at he feet. The authorities caught wind of the accident and decided she was a liability. They imprisoned her in a small, isolated house on the very outskirts of Latveria on the grounds that she was a danger to everyone, including herself. Occasionally they would pull her out of the house to parade her through the village, to show the children what happens to one who is possessed by Satan himself.

Back then she had believed they were right. She was trouble; she did not deserve to live. Sometimes she wondered why no one had yet tried to kill her or why she did not do the deed herself. The villagers had sent her on a downwards-spiralling path to self-destruction; she had almost reached the bottom when her saviour appeared.

She had been surprised to see him, it was not everyday she got a visitor who had not come to give her abuse or try and get her to use the gift. Her Saviour had shown her the gift was a blessing, not a curse. He had lifted her from her hellhole and now she was indebt to him.

The helicopter she was riding in came to a stop. Katrina sat silently as the blades slowed down. She looked at the man opposite her expectantly. His attention was completely on his PDA. She was about to ask him what to do next when the door to the helicopter was thrust open. Her heart leapt to her throat as a familiar, metallic face loomed in the doorway. Katrina knew that underneath the mask of metal he was smiling, she could see it in his warm, powerful and hypnotic eyes. Katrina threw herself down to the floor of the helicopter and gave a low bow.

"My saviour…" she whispered as she trembled with excitement. "I am here to serve."

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"Please Ben! Just this once," Reed begged.

"I have to get back to the hospital," Ben growled as he pushed past his friend. Reed followed him to the stairwell.

"Just this once Ben…please!"

"Look stretch, any other time you know I'd be happy to baby sit but Alicia needs me. If she wakes up I _need_ to be there for her," Ben replied.

"Two hours Ben. I swear, just two hours. We just need some alone time out of the house. It's been so long since Sue and I had some time together and you _know _we can't leave Franklin with Johnny, not after last time" Reed explained. Ben paused, two hours didn't sound too bad and the last time Johnny had been left to baby sit Franklin had conveniently been kidnapped.

"Just two?" he asked sceptically.

"I just wanted us to go for a meal and then maybe a quick walk."

"And you won't loose track of time?"

"If we're not back within two hours you can go straight to the hospital."

"And leave the baby with Johnny?"

"Erm…okay you can call us and we'll come right back."

"Aright fine…what time do you want me?" Ben said after a short pause.

"Seven…is that okay?" Reed asked unable to hide his triumphant smile.

"It's fine…I'm gonna go to the hospital," Ben said with a sigh and trudged out the room.

He headed to the stairwell and began the lengthy descent to the bottom floor. He found himself wondering why Reed had the time to do unnecessary experiments and build things because he was bored but not to reinforce the lift so Ben would not have to take the stairs every time he wanted to go out. Normally no one took the stairs in the Baxter Building, they didn't have the same luxurious atmosphere as the lifts and they were pretty steep. Whenever Johnny took the stairs, which was incredibly rare and usually only when he wanted something from Ben, he spent most of the journey moaning about how much his legs hurt. So you can imagine his surprise when as he neared the ground floor he found Johnny curled up in the corner. A shopping bag lay discarded a few steps away.

"Tired already? You're not even halfway yet," Ben joked. When Johnny didn't give him a witty reply Ben stooped down to Johnny's level.

"You okay kid?" he asked. Johnny still didn't reply. He sat with his knees pulled up to his chest with his hands on his head. He stared at his knees, a look of pure horror on his face.

"Johnny! Johnny what's wrong? What happened? Is it the press again? They still on about-" Ben stopped mid-sentence as Johnny began to talk.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered. Ben let out a confused grunt.

"I didn't mean it…I didn't mean any of it. I just got a bit annoyed. Please forgive me," Johnny pleaded.

"For what?" Ben asked and then added suspiciously. "What did you do?"

But Johnny ignored him and continued to talk.

"You don't belong in hell and you shouldn't go there! You are innocent and you are hard-working."

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Ben continued to probe Johnny for some sort of information but the superhero just stared at his knees.

"I…I-I…I," Johnny began to say. He flinched suddenly and his hands automatically flew to his ears. Ben regarded the boy in front of him with a confused expression on his face. He hadn't heard anything.

"I murdered you," Johnny mumbled as he released his ears and put his hands on his forehead. Ben knew it was now impossible for his eyebrows to get any closer together.

"I, Jonathan Lowell Spencer Storm, am….am….am a cold-blooded killer…and…and I m-murdered…y-you…Sofia Wallace," Johnny stuttered.

Ben stared at Johnny. He had been wrong; his eyebrows were even closer together they were practically overlapping. Johnny had admitted he regretted some of the decisions he had made at VDTI (aka killing Sofia) but Ben had obviously missed out on the slightly unusual signs of what he could only guess was post-traumatic stress. Ben became aware that Johnny was perhaps in a trance. It was as Ben was wondering how exactly to break this trance that Johnny 'woke up'.

Johnny let out a girlish yell as he looked up and saw Ben staring back at him.

"Jeez pebbles! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" Johnny exclaimed as he clutched his chest dramatically. Ben gave Johnny a sceptical look, suddenly remembering every remark on Ben's inability to sneak up on people. Johnny seemed to remember too because he looked away from Ben and hastily stood up, brushing off his jeans. Ben watched as Johnny scrambled for his shopping as he stood up.

"That must have been some…daydream. I was there for a while," Ben said slyly. Johnny froze, one arm reached out for the milk that had taken a short tumble to the bottom of the steps. Slowly Johnny retracted his arm and stood up.

"How long?" Johnny asked quietly.

"Long enough," Ben said curtly and then added in a much more sensitive voice, "wanna tell me what's going on?"

Johnny stared at him for a moment; Ben could see his brain calculating the pros and cons of spilling his guts.

"Everything's fine," Johnny lied and picked up the milk. He avoided Ben's gaze as he headed towards the lobby, Ben followed.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Ben asked.

"Well you always were the suspicious one," Johnny replied over his shoulder. Ben chuckled. He watched the younger man enter the lift.

"Johnny?"

"What?" Johnny asked not bothering to hide his annoyance. His finger hovered over the button labelled 35.

"You're not a cold blooded killer," Ben said in the tone of voice he usually used when he spoke to Alicia: sincere and oddly soothing.

Johnny stared at Ben for a few seconds before he pressed the button. He could see the disappointment on Ben's face as the doors slid shut. When the doors shut Johnny released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and slumped against the wall closest to him. He closed his eyes and sighed quietly.

"Yes I am," he whispered.

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"We're going out tonight."

"We are?"

Reed laughed at his wife's confusion.

"Yes. We are," he confirmed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. The couple stood, in the kitchen, in a comfortable silence for a while. Reed stiffened suddenly.

"You're not going out or something are you?" he asked worriedly, suddenly remembering the times he had arranged a 'surprise' date for Sue and she had been planning to have a night out with her girlfriends.

"No," Sue said with a giggle and turned around to face him. "I just so happen to be free tonight."

"Excellent."

"Indeed...but what about-" Sue began but Reed cut her off, he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Already taken care of," Reed said breezily. Sue raised one eyebrow.

"I managed to convince Ben to watch Franklin for a couple of hours," Reed explained in a somewhat proud tone. Sue grinned.

"I love you," she murmured.

"And I love you too," Reed replied. Sue's smile widened and she stood on her tiptoes to give Reed a kiss.

A loud bang sounded through the room and the couple jumped apart. Sue glared at the perpetrator. Johnny stood a few feet away from them.

"What have I told you about slamming the cupboards like that?" she whined. Johnny stared at her blankly for a few moments, grabbed his 'freshly-prepared' cereal and left the room without a word.

Sue let out an aggravated grunt and threw her hands up in the air.

"What is wrong with him? Why does he always have to do that?" she moaned. Reed was at her side in an instant. He wrapped an arm around her soothingly.

"He's just being Johnny," Reed said calmly.

"Well just for once I wish he'd be someone else," Sue grumbled, sinking into Reed's embrace.

Johnny stood outside the kitchen, still clutching his cereal. Sue always said things like that, most of them were in the heat of the moment, but at that moment in time it was the last thing he wanted to hear. Mainly because he wished he was someone else too. Although Sue's comment hurt, something else hurt more.

Reed asked Ben to baby sit.

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**A/N: Okay so maybe this chapter made no sense. Yes, Johnny was talking to Sofia during the whole 'Johnny has post-traumatic stress' thing. And no, he does not have post-traumatic stress because last time I checked (five minutes ago) seeing ghosts isn't a symptom.**

**REVIEW! You know you want to…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own SG and Katrina…but she's not in this chapter so I guess that's probably irrelevant.**

**Author's note: Well I must thank you all for your reviews and apologise for my slow updating. I've been so unbelievable busy with all these retarded mock exams. Christmas is like a week away so not surprisingly when I've had free time I've been shopping. These excuses probably just sound really lame but these mock exams mean absolutely everything to me and so I've given them 110 percent. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I was going to add more but I decided against it. **

**Anyway, the first section of this chapter is from SG's point of view. For future reference any italics in first person will be SG's POV, unless they are like a paragraph long. **

_She looks absolutely stunning. _

_Of course she always looks beautiful, but tonight…well tonight she just looks spectacular. Red is definitely her colour. Who knew a dress could do so much? Not that she needs a red dress to look good. She always looks good, but that dress…wow…let's just say it accentuates her curves. _

_I want to talk to her so bad. Let her know I'm here…but I can't. She's with Reed and lately he's been a little over-protective. The other day I sent Sue a letter but it got to him first. He read it and then he shredded it…with a paper shredder. What a nerd. Whatever happened to just ripping something up and throwing it in the bin? At least it's a good sign. He feels threatened…I'm a threat. Ha, I've never been considered competition before. Well at least not to my knowledge. Reed's so scared. That's because he can see it too. She's falling for me. She tries to resist because her head is telling her she has a husband and a son…but her heart…her heart is telling her to live for the moment, forget about the rest of the world and go for the man she loves. _

_She needs to watch some Disney films. They always send out the right message: love conquers all, follow your heart, find your true love, true love guarantees a happy ending etc. Maybe then she'll truly understand that I am her true love…not a stupid little scientist with love for nothing but his test tubes. _

_The restaurant manager is getting annoyed with me. I don't blame him. I still haven't ordered anything but it's not my fault. I can't afford anything here… who pays $45 for a steak? Maybe he thinks I'm reading the menu. The menu's my cover-up so Dr. stupid doesn't see me ogle his wife. Not that I am ogling her…she's too beautiful to be ogled. Delicate and rare flowers such as Susan should be admired and cared for lovingly. _

_I know it seems stupid. Maybe I am getting a little desperate. Doing things like this could actually justify all those stupid names the not-so-fiery human torch keeps coming up with. I've followed Susan out on a date…with her husband. Nothing says desperate like a little bit of…well…a little bit of stalking. I'm just waiting for the right moment to approach her. Maybe when Dr. Stupid or my love takes a bathroom break I can make my move. We've been here a while and they've both been sat at that table the whole time. Maybe Dr. Stupid isn't that stupid, he's knows you cannot leave a goddess such as Susan unattended without seriously jeopardising your relationship._

_I'm going to need to take matters into my own hands. Mother nature doesn't seem to want anyone to take a bathroom break any minute now. _

_I call the waiter over and he looks mildly disappointed when I tell him I don't want to order anything just yet. When I slip him $10 dollars and ask him to accidentally trip up and spill red wine all over Mr Fantastic's white shirt he doesn't look impressed. It takes another $30 before he says 'of course sir' and runs off to fetch a bottle. _

_The waiter does a very convincing trip. If I didn't know any better I would think it was a genuine accident. Everything seems to be looking up until it appears that Dr. Stupid has very good reflexes. He catches the waiter and the bottle without spilling a drop and is rewarded with a round of applause. The waiter shrugs at me and heads off to the kitchen. I have to duck down to keep hidden from the wary eyes of Dr. Stupid. _

_In the end I order some chips. It's the cheapest thing on the menu. The waiter doesn't seem bothered thanks to his enormous and completely undeserved tip. The waiter insists on taking the menu so I have to sip tap water behind a newspaper. It's a good job I'm always prepared. _

_The newspaper disguise is hardly the best, I almost feel like giving up when Susan stands up and promises Reed she'll be right back. Result!_

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Susan Richards beamed at herself in the mirror. It was times like those that she remembered exactly why she loved Reed Richards. She reapplied her lipstick and gave the attendant a generous tip - she was in a good mood. It wasn't everyday she was taken to dinner in one of the most expensive restaurants in town, drinking the finest wine and eating overpriced, yet delicious food.

Sue left the bathroom with the most cliché thoughts in her head. _It couldn't get any better _and _absolutely nothing could ruin my night now _to name a few. She gave a yelp as a hand grabbed her arm and she was pulled into the disabled toilets.

Sue winced as she pushed roughly against the bathroom door. Stephen Brown stood opposite her. He flashed Sue an apologetic smile and released her arm.

"Sorry," he mumbled, avoiding her confused gaze.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly. SG looked up at her longingly.

"I wanted to see you," he whispered and attempted to close the gap between them. A force field kept him a few inches away.

"I'm out with my husband," Sue said angrily. She pushed Stephen back with the force field and turned around to leave the room. She pulled the door, expecting it to swing open. But it didn't. Sue pulled the door frantically but it wouldn't budge. She searched the door for some kind of lock but she couldn't find one. Her blood ran cold.

"Looks like we're stuck in here," SG said breezily. Sue glared at him.

"Open this door right now," she ordered. SG shrugged casually.

"Sorry. Don't know how to."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, staring at each other. Sue was glaring harder than she'd glared before. Even Johnny couldn't draw out such a look. This didn't deter Stephen. He stared at her lovingly, a half-smile on his face.

"You look beautiful," he said softly, breaking the silence. Sue was momentarily thrown off and her glare wavered.

"Let me out of here," she said, completely ignoring his compliment.

"I told you. We're stuck."

"My _husband_ will be getting worried," Sue snapped.

"So he should be. You're a beautiful woman Ms Storm," Stephen said casually.

"Mrs _Richards_!" Sue corrected.

"Ms _Storm_," SG said with a smirk before he continued. "If I were him I wouldn't let you out of my sight. You're the _perfect _woman. He doesn't know how lucky he is."

Sue didn't look entirely impressed. In fact she was feeling rather annoyed. She had fan mail telling her how lucky her husband was everyday.

"He doesn't deserve you," SG said resentfully. His voice had suddenly become cold. "Why him? What makes him so special? He doesn't deserve to have your commitment. He just… abuses it. He doesn't love you like I do. He can't see you for what you truly are - a goddess, a rare and delicate flower, an everlasting star - if…if you were mine things would be different. Going out to dinner wouldn't be a one off thing. Expensive gifts wouldn't be a…a peace offering or just for birthdays and anniversaries. I…I can give you something so much better," desperation took over as Stephen violated Sue's personal space again and put his hands on her arms.

"Sue…I love you."

There were so many expectations behind the statement. Sue could see he was practically begging her to say the same.

"I should be getting back," she said, shrugging off SG's heartfelt plea. She gently pushed Stephen away from her again.

"Sue? Sue are you in there?" A familiar voice called. Reed had finally decided 'be right back' didn't cover a 10 - 15 minute absence. Before Sue could shout a reply SG grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him. She stood momentarily stunned as he kissed her gently. When he reluctantly pulled away he was surprised to see a look of shock and disgust on Sue's face but nether the less, he was undeterred. Sue watched as he flashed her a smile and proceeded to climb out the small, open window.

SG was out the window within seconds. He closed it behind him and gave Sue an energetic wave. SG tried to hide his disappointment when Sue didn't return the wave and turned around so she was facing the door instead of the window. He watched as the bathroom door swung open and Sue left the room, straight into Reed's arms without a backwards glance.

Stephen's eyes narrowed as he watched the married couple embrace. Reed hadn't even acknowledged his presence with a 'stay-away-from-my-wife' glare. He stayed there, hidden in the hedge, as Reed led Sue back to their table. He was still there when the couple were long gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own Vanessa, SG and Katrina. **

**Author's note: Thank you for the reviews. I know the last chapter was kinda dry but I think this one is much more interesting. Hope you all had an amazing Christmas!**

**Anyway, in between this chapter and the last I guess some stuff happened. Reed asked Sue a lot of questions about what happened while she was in the bathroom and was unhappy with her nonchalant answers. Sue thought Reed was being possessive etc. **

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The mood at the dinner table had changed. The flirty smiles and giddy laughs had disappeared and had been replaced by murderous glares and irritated sighs. Reed and Sue sat in silence, neither trusted themselves to speak without offending the other.

"I just wanted to know what he wanted," Reed said quietly, breaking the silence. Sue looked up from her plate and sent him another glare.

"Well then you should just ask me. You don't need to interrogate me like I'm doing something wrong!" Sue hissed.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? It's just, well, your attitude to him has done a complete 180. One minute you hate him and you're completely scared, the next you're sticking up for him and telling me he's not that bad! What am I supposed to think?"

"You could think that maybe I'm just learning to live with it. As annoying as he is, Stephen is just a deluded kid."

"See you've even stopped calling him SG!" Reed said accusingly.

"I only called him SG because I didn't know his real name. Now I do. Don't you think it would be kind of rude for me to keep on calling him names?"

"He's following you everywhere and you're worried about coming off as rude? Sue don't you know how stupid you sound?" Reed's tone had suddenly become desperate. "Sue, i…I don't know what to think of this. You have a stalker and…and you're completely comfortable with it!"

"I'm not completely comfortable…I've just realised that maybe I'm overreacting. Reed look at it this way: Stephen is just like my biggest fan-"

"Fans don't steal your children and send you disturbing letters," Reed interrupted.

"I know, but-"

"It's not normal Sue. No matter how you look at it. He follows you everywhere; he's like a little shadow. He _hacked _into our surveillance system for goodness sake! You think he has innocent intentions. He didn't do it so he could see you every second of the day. He did it because he wants to see you in the shower, he wants to watch you have sex, he wants to watch you while you sleep, he wants to know every single detail about your life so he can pretend that he knows you and that you belong to him! Damn it Sue can't you see he's dangerous! One day he's gonna get fed up of being the stalker. One day he's gonna decide he needs to do something about it! One day he's gonna do something stupid like he did a few weeks ago. How long until he blows up the Baxter Building because he's upset that you don't like the new design on the lobby? How long until he waltzes into our home and kills me, Franklin, Johnny and Ben just so that you can be together? God Sue, how long? You're encouraging him! You're giving him false hopes and they are gonna push him off the edge. And when they do something bad is gonna happen, can't you see that?" By the time he had finished speaking Reed was standing up and shouting. Halfway through, Sue's fears of the press catching wind of his outburst had evaporated and she was seething.

"How dare you accuse me of being so ignorant? You think I don't know about the dangers or care about what could happen? Do you really think I haven't spent every second wondering what's going to happen?" Sue screamed, she too was now standing up.

The restaurant had fallen silent. The pianist in the corner had stopped playing and all eyes were on the world-famous couple. Reed swallowed nervously, he was suddenly aware that they were causing a scene.

"I'm not saying you're not aware of the consequences. I'm just saying I don't think you've thought them through enough. If you did then you sure as hell wouldn't be talking about that monster like he's your new best friend," Reed hissed. Sue felt tears well up in her eyes; she had never thought that Stephen would have her arguing with the only man she had ever truly loved.

"You know what Reed? You can go to hell," Sue whispered. Reed watched as she marched out of the restaurant, tears spilling down her cheeks.

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Stephen stood in the doorway of the restaurant, he called out to Sue when she walked past but she ignored him. A small smile spread across his face. _Exit Reed and Enter Stephen. _Reed's tirade had given Stephen a few ideas. He had been completely content with watching Sue from his bedroom but now he could see that he had a much higher calling. He was wasting his time being the little stalker; he needed to make some big changes. Real changes that had nothing to do with declaring his love over and over again.

Stephen was destined for something much bigger but he needed Doctor Doom's help to get there.

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"Phone's ringing," Johnny announced.

Ben looked up from the magazine he was reading and at the obnoxious young man lounging on the sofa opposite him. His eyes travelled to the small table beside Johnny and the cordless phone on top of it.

"Well then pick it up," Ben said through gritted teeth. The event he had witnessed earlier had led the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing to rethink his attitude to Johnny. Just one hour in Johnny's company made him realise that the powerless superhero was completely undeserving of any sympathy Ben sent his way.

"I don't want to," Johnny said childishly.

"Well then let it ring."

Johnny was visibly confused by Ben's diplomatic reply. He looked at the phone beside him. Ben obviously wasn't going to back down and the ringing was beginning to annoy him. Swallowing his pride Johnny reached over and snatched the phone from its base. He ignored the smug and triumphant smile that filled Ben's face and put the phone to his ear.

"Speak," Johnny said stoically into the phone.

"Hi. Is Johnny around?" a female voice replied smoothly. Johnny froze. He recognised the voice instantly. Johnny put on his best imitation of Reed.

"Sorry you just missed him. May I take a message?" Johnny asked. He hoped that she hadn't seen past his disguise like the last time. He held his breath, anticipating the 'I'm gonna rip your balls off' line.

"Um no…actually could you just tell him I called? My name's Vanessa by the way."

"Yes of course," Johnny said quickly and hung up.

Ben watched him with a bemused expression on his face.

"What?" Johnny asked defensively.

"Nothing…just…well, if that was supposed to sound like Reed it sounded more like, well, you," Ben said with a chuckle.

"Shut up!" Johnny growled and stalked off to the kitchen. He was in desperate need of some sugar-covered cereal.

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Vanessa sighed and stared at her phone. She had been very tempted to scream all sorts of insults the second she heard Johnny say 'speak'. She looked up at the Baxter Building. Somewhere, on the top floor, Johnny was probably pacing the room, wandering whether she had fallen for his pathetic lie. He was also probably wondering exactly what she would do when he eventually saw her again.

Vanessa winced as she was suddenly remembered the last time she had seen Johnny Storm. He had been climbing out of her bedroom window assuring her that he would call and the only reason he was climbing out of the window was because he didn't want to run into Vanessa's roommate.

Two weeks on and Vanessa still hadn't received that phone call.

She turned to the photographer standing beside her.

"Are you sure he's still in there?" she asked. The photographer nodded, evidently annoyed considering she had asked him the same question at least five times in the past four minutes. Vanessa looked up at the penthouse again; she began to wonder why once again she was hanging around outside the Baxter Building, hoping to catch Johnny on his way out.

"This is pointless," she mumbled to herself, ignoring the weird looks the photographer sent her and began the long walk home.

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Walking through the park was not Vanessa's smartest idea and she knew it. Vanessa gripped the 9mm hidden in her coat pocket as she walked briskly through the deserted paradise. Central Park was one of Vanessa's favourite places. It was the only spot of green to be found in the urbanised area of New York City.

Vanessa had come across few people on her walk, only a few hobos and the odd innocent New Yorker just trying to get home as she was. Most people stayed away from any isolated area after dark, many undesirables could be found lurking under the trees. Vanessa could handle them though. In a strange way, VDTI had changed her; being genuinely scared was a feeling that Vanessa had not entirely enjoyed and she had made it her mission to never feel the same way again. The submissive nature of the emotion made her feel incredibly small and the feminist ideas rooted in her head by her mother told her everything about fear was wrong. Hence the pepper spray in her handbag and the gun in her coat pocket.

As she walked, Vanessa suddenly got the feeling that she was being watched. She began to take soft and slow steps. Sure enough she could hear the faint echo of other footsteps. She stopped.

"Stop following me," Vanessa said loudly, hoping that whoever was listening would get the message and leave her alone. For a brief moment she thought it was Johnny. She suddenly expected him to call out her name and confess he was sorry for pretending to be someone else.

"Alright. You got me," a voice said that was definitely not Johnny.

Vanessa tried not to be disappointed, she knew better than to believe all those scenes in romantic comedies could occur in the real world. She turned around, expecting to see some sort of undesirable lurking behind her. Instead she saw Leonard. Leonard Werner: Victor Von Doom's incredibly annoying PA and loyal follower.

"You," she stated by way of recognition.

"Hello Vanessa, it's been a while."

"What do you want?" she asked cautiously. She was in no mood to exchange pleasantries and it was clear Leonard was here for business.

"Doctor Doom requires an audience with you," Leonard said smugly.

"Now?"

"If possible, yes."

"Well I'm afraid I'm a little busy."

Leonard laughed. It was the laugh of someone who knew exactly what they were doing: arrogant and assuming.

"He was afraid you would say something like that. But I'm afraid you are in no position to make compromises."

"Oh but I think I am."

"Mr Von Doom kindly overlooked your betrayal a few weeks ago. He figured you had no choice in the matter and felt compelled to assist Jonathan considering your previous affiliation with him," Leonard said slyly.

"So now I owe him?" Vanessa asked, suddenly feeling quite worried.

"If you want to put it that way, then I believe the answer is yes. Victor is giving you a rare opportunity to redeem yourself," Leonard said nonchalantly.

Victor Von Doom was obviously not going to forget that she had switched sides in his all-important battle against the Fantastic Four; her help had helped in the destruction of his carefully crafted plan. It also appeared that he was going to use her treachery against her. Vanessa didn't have a choice. She was going to have to once again become a faithful employee of Victor Von Doom. The alternatives didn't bare thinking about.

"Where do I need to go?" she asked reluctantly. A triumphant smirk spread across Leonard's face. He handed her a business card.

"Aren't you going to take me there?" she asked. Leonard shook his head.

"I'm afraid I have some other business to attend to," he said with a wave of a hand.

"Hurry, he's expecting you," Leonard said with a smirk and walked off into the darkness. Vanessa looked down at the card; a gnawing feeling ate at her stomach. There was no denying that she was facing real fear again. She read the card slowly, processing the information and trying to create a map in her mind.

_The Mystery Palace_

_No. 198, East 17th street_

_Manhattan _

_New York City_

The ridiculous name of Doom's new headquarters was not enough to shake the feeling that she was selling her soul to the devil (again).

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The Mystery Palace was a small shop just around the corner from the now dilapidated Von Doom Towers. It blended in effortlessly with the rest of the street, despite its rundown nature. The green paint was peeling and the gold lettering was faded. A big, green velvet curtain covered the large window at the front of the shop. It was obviously a new addition; the fabric didn't have the faded look of everything else about the small building. A large brass knob sat right in the middle of the door and a "we're closed" sign was displayed on the frosted glass that took up about a third of the door. The letterbox had been boarded up to prevent any junk mail being delivered.

Despite its central and slightly obvious location, the shop was the perfect place for an isolated and unnoticed hideout. There was clearly no reason for anyone to enter the shop; people who were familiar with the area were aware that The Mystery Palace had been closed for almost a year now.

No one ever wanted anything to do with The Mystery Palace and that was just the way Doom liked it.

The whole place seemed foreboding to Vanessa. She could imagine Victor commanding her to do terrible things, just for his amusement. Taking a job with Victor Von Doom had been the worst decision Vanessa had ever made; friends and family had warned her that taking the job was putting her on a slippery slope but she had dismissed their concerns. She finally understood what they meant: the company was finished and she still wasn't free.

Vanessa took a deep breath and approached the door. She looked around to check she wasn't being watched before she knocked on the door. From inside she heard hushed whispers in a language she could not understand. There was a moment of silence before the door was opened a crack.

"Vanessa?" a female voice whispered. A pair of big, scared-looking brown eyes stared at her suspiciously. Vanessa confirmed her identity with a nod and the door was thrown open. A tall, thin woman was standing in the doorway, a nervous smile on her face. She ushered Vanessa in and shut the door behind her. Vanessa's first thought was Doom had developed a sudden interest in recruiting supermodels. It seemed as though he was trying to become a James Bond/Lex Luthor type figure: they always seemed to be surrounded by beautiful women. Vanessa took a good look at her surroundings.

It was a surprising contrast to the outside. It was as if Doom had taken the liberty of moving all his favourite furniture into The Mystery Palace before it had been destroyed.

"Ah, Vanessa! I was beginning to think you weren't going to come," a smug voice said from a large armchair placed near the centre of the room.

"Mr Von Doom," Vanessa greeted coldly. Victor flashed her a false smile.

"Please, take a seat," Victor said, gesturing to an antique sofa opposite him.

"I do hope you had no trouble finding the place," he continued as Vanessa sat down.

"It was a piece of cake," Vanessa said lightly.

"I'd like you to meet Katrina," Victor said and held out a hand to the woman who had opened the door. Vanessa nodded at Katrina and Katrina gave her a small smile.

"Well I suppose you know why you're here," Victor began. Vanessa was about to answer but he continued. "Things went wrong. My plans failed and once again, the fantastic freaks came out on top."

"But this time things are different," Vanessa interrupted. Victor beamed at her; if he had picked up on the mocking tone in her voice he didn't show it.

"Exactly, because this time I have a new plan - a foolproof plan."

"Do I get to hear this plan?"

"Vanessa, you know me. I like to take precautions. You'll just know about everything that concerns you. Anyay, as I was saying-"

"And what part do I play?" Vanessa asked, interrupting Doom's well planned speech once again.

"You and Jonathan are about to come lovers again-"

"I don't want to."

"Stop trying to kid yourself. I myself have seen you standing hopelessly outside the Baxter Building."

Vanessa opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She sat, dumbfounded, and stared at Victor. Was she so important in the plan that he would spy on her personally? Katrina, who was standing beside Doom, spoke up.

"Tell her the best bit! You haven't heard the best part yet!" She gushed. Vanessa was taken back by Katrina's suddenly loud voice. She had taken her to be incredibly quiet. Victor looked up at Katrina and gave her a smile. To Vanessa it seemed incredibly creepy but Katrina beamed and blushed.

"Vanessa you are going to help me do what no other super villain has ever done before. Together, we are going to disband the Fantastic Four…for good."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own the F4 and Doom

**Disclaimer: I don't own the F4 and Doom**

**Author's note: So there was school and writers block…the usual stuff. This is kinda short, but oh well, whatcha gonna do?**

The two women sat opposite each other. The lights had been dimmed - to create the perfect atmosphere - and there was music playing faintly in the background. Katrina hummed along, eyes closed and swaying softly along with the music. The Latverian national anthem was her favourite song.

Vanessa watched Katrina warily. To say the mal-nourished girl scared her would be an understatement.

"Is all this really necessary?" she found herself asking.

"Yes," Katrina replied airily, eyes still closed.

"Can't we just get it over and done with?"

"No." Vanessa sat back in her chair, annoyed, and continued to watch Katrina.

Katrina continued to sway and hum for another minute before the song ended. As it came to a powerful crescendo her eyes snapped open for the big finish, a big smile on her face.

"I love that song," she gushed. Vanessa smiled weakly and nodded in agreement. She was eager to get the process over and done with, but Katrina clearly did not want to comply. Vanessa knew why. It was all part of her punishment; Victor was killing two birds with one stone and Katrina had been instructed to make sure that one bird's death was particularly long and painful. Vanessa had often regretted the decision to help her ex-boyfriend, but she had never imagined the trouble it would bring her.

"So…what are the odds?" Katrina asked brightly. Vanessa looked at her blankly.

"Odds?"

"That you're pregnant."

"Oh…" Vanessa looked at Victor. Doom was watching Katrina intently.

"Um…very unlikely?" Vanessa offered. Katrina smiled.

"And what are the chances you're carrying the child of the human torch?" Katrina asked as she leaned forward, a childish smile on her face. Vanessa knew what she had to say now. Whether it was necessary, Vanessa did not know, but she had a horrible feeling that Katrina just did it for fun.

"I'd say impossible," Vanessa said quietly. Katrina's smile grew.

"Wrong!"

Vanessa held her breath expectantly. There was a tense silence. Vanessa waited for some sort of strange sensation to hit her.

"Done!" Katrina said happily and beamed at Doom.

"Really?" Vanessa asked. "Is that it?"

"Yes," Katrina said, slightly offended. Was Vanessa unimpressed by her gift?

"Did it work? I…I didn't feel anything."

"You're not supposed to."

"Oh," Vanessa said quietly. As she wondered what to do next, the young woman suddenly felt the urge to throw up. Doctor Doom and Katrina watched as she ran across the room and to the nearest bin. Doom stepped forward and placed a hand on Katrina's shoulder.

"Well done. You have made me proud," he said sincerely, ignoring the retching noises. Katrina beamed back at him.

Finished, Vanessa stumbled back to her seat. Katrina smiled innocently at her, "did you feel that?"

It had taken several minutes for Reed to build up the confidence to go and talk to his wife, but he found that when the appropriate time came, he was not ready.

Reed hovered nervously in the doorway of the nursery. He desperately wanted to go back to his lab, but he knew that if he did not at least try and explain himself to Susan she would never forgive him. Sue was completely unaware of his presence. She was standing over the cot, watching Franklin sleep. It was something she had become accustomed to doing since VDTI. She rarely like to leave her son alone; the threat of Doctor Doom was not yet over and until it was Sue was not taking any chances.

Reed cleared his throat quietly. Sue's head whipped round at the sound of an intruder. Upon recognising the person as her husband, her wary expression shifted into one of contempt.

"Hi," Reed said weakly.

"Hi."

There was an awkward silence as Reed struggled to bring himself to speak.

"I'm sorry," he said finally after a few seconds. Sue turned round again so she had her back to him.

"I shouldn't have said what I said," Reed said robotically. The words sounded oddly rehearsed. "It's not you," Reed began to say. Sue turned around to face him, eyes narrowed.

"Then who is it? You?" she hissed. Reed looked slightly taken back at her response and took a deep breath; he was not about to get into another argument.

"No…It's him. There's nothing wrong with you or me…it's him," Reed said quietly. He waited for a response but received none. Sue's face softened slightly and she turned away from him again. Feeling slightly encouraged, Reed closed the gap between the couple with a single step. He stood beside her and took hold of her hand.

"Everything I said to you…it was just misdirected. It's just everything I wanted…want to say to him."

Reed watched Sue hopefully. Short. Sweet. Simple. Reed had, in his opinion, delivered his best apology yet.

"I'm sorry too," Sue said softly, her lips barely moving.

Reed smiled.

The nurse slipped in while he slept. She didn't really understand the true nature of her task, all she understood was the 150 she was being given every time she added something extra to the drip hanging off the IV.

The rocky mass snored in the chair as she pulled the small, green bottle out of her pocket. It was a pretty bottle, and the nurse had been immediately drawn to it; the nice man had promised it to her once her work was over. The nurse admired the bottle as she poured three drops into the drip. They trickled out slowly - something about preventing an overdose - and every time the nurse gave the unofficial prescribed medicine, she spent those painfully long seconds panicking that someone would discover her.

Though the time seemed to drag out for her, she was done within ten seconds. She always took a moment to wonder what it was that she was doing. A small part of her often felt guilty as she stared down at the serene face of the patient; she did not know what was in the bottle, but it didn't take a genius to realise that it was not something that would ensure the woman made a swift recovery.

Voices outside the door made the nurse jump. She glanced at the clock - Dr Warwick was making her round. Within the two second time that it took for the doctor and her intern to open the door, the nurse jumped from the IV stand to the foot of the bed. She picked up the medical chart casually and pretended to be flicking through it - checking the patient had already received her medicine.

"Ms Masters' medication is not due for a few hours," the doctor said stiffly. The nurse nodded numbly and handed the doctor the chart before scampering out the room.

She had never looked at the medical chart before. One section had stuck out like a sore thumb; the patient was blind. For a split second guilt took over. The nurse walked slowly to the car park. She was probably killing a blind woman. As the car park drew closer, the nurse spotted the nice man. He was carrying a briefcase - that would be her weekly wages. A giddy smile spread across her face and all guilt vanished; she could just see herself parading down the street in those red shoes she had been eying for the past week.


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